Cambridge riverboaters fear break up of community if council mooring shake-up goes ahead

Some of the Camboaters together before their meeting at the Cambridge Museum of Technology. (Image: Keith Jones)

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In 2012 the city council adopted ownership of the stretch of railings on Riverside and two years later registered the boats moored there.

It said it would put £75,000 into improving that stretch of river - but this was never implemented with Camboaters claiming the money has been "de-budgeted".

Camboaters say that a £70,000 sum can be collected by charging the Riverside boats for moorings, raising £30,000 a year, and putting the £40,000 annual rowing clubhouse rates to riverfront budget.

The organisation rejects the council's health and safety concerns, arguing that there is always a small amount of risk in river living.

It says that any safety concerns can be tackled by installing permanent mooring rings and access gates at the Riverside railings.

James Tidy, a member of Camboaters, who lives on a motorboat on midsummer Common, has already decided to move out of Cambridge because of the proposed fee increases.

He said: "There's no guarantee if it goes up now it won't go up again. We're leaving Cambridge. I've been on the boat for about nine years.

Leaving the strong riverboater community will be the most difficult part of departing for James.

He added: "[It will be] Very hard. It just feels like we had a particularly good community. Very strong.

"The benefit of feeling under threat is that everyone comes together quite nicely. So in the past year or so it's got a lot stronger a lot better. So in a way it will be harder to go.

"You can tell what the council's overall aim is from the committees that have been managing the river.

"Originally we were in with environment and now we're in strategy and resources so you can see the shift from how it's viewed being part of the environment to being a resource."

After the meeting the Chairman of Camboaters, Jim Ross, expressed his hope that the organisation can work with the council to find solutions to current issues.

He said: "This event for us had two roles: one was it gave us a focus for our research, but more importantly to actually hear the views of local residents who have an interest in what happens on the river.

"It feels like it went quite well. It was good to see so many councillors here.

"We've managed to communicate to them our understanding of the situation of the river and what the proposals means for us and how we can work with them to find something that works for everybody.

Jim fears that if the proposals are pushed forward by the council, riverboaters will be forced to move out of Cambridge.

"It means different things for different people. For some it means they will have to leave the city and take their boat where they can afford.

"Or they will have to lose their home and have to move into some where to rent outside the city and commute in.

"Lot's of us live on boats for environmental reasons and pushing people outside the city seems wrong-headed.

"It's nice to see so many people out and interested and the support we've had from residents on Riverside has been moving. It cheers you up. It's been pretty grim having things so up in the air."

Cllr Richard Robertson, Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources, also attended the meeting and welcomed the Camboaters research.

He said: It's an example of a good response from the boating community. They've been looking into this in great detail and will make their report... It's exactly what we need.

"Why are we doing this now? It's because the issue has been fudged for 10 years. We want the issue sorted out once and for all so that everybody knows where they are and everybody has some reasonable satisfaction.

"There are conflicts in the interests. For example, many residents want more trees along the river but the boaters don't want this because it takes way light for the solar panels.

"I sympathise with anybody whose accommodation is under risk. That applies to housing as well as boats. It's not an ideal situation."

The city council's consultation closes on January 20. Responses can be submitted on their website.